Saudade
by pettyimperfections
Summary: Newly graduated Beth is heading out on a summer road trip to clear her mind, but on her travels she starts hitting some bumps in the road that will send her life intertwining with Daryl Dixon's. [AU: No Zombies]
1. Chapter 1

**Saudade /souˈdädə/**

**(n.) a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or that has been loved and then lost; "the love that remains".**

Beth sat in the middle of her room, with her legs crossed, in her graduation gown. In her lap, a scrapbook was opened, balanced on her knees and she was flipping through it. Every time she turned a page she would trail her fingers over the plastic covering and study the pictures. She'd been doing this mechanically for about half an hour.

Maggie gave the scrapbook to her after the ceremony as a graduation gift. Beth loved it even before she opened it. She knew that Maggie probably spent many, many frustrating hours over it, designing the layout and gluing the photos down, making it elaborate enough for her little sister. Maggie hated doing crafty things, but she did it to make Beth happy.

It did make Beth happy to see the captured memories of her and her friends; all the formals, birthday dinners, first and lasts days of school were wonderful. But Beth's heart strained and an ache was sent throughout her entire body every time she turned to a page filled with photos of family gathering like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Her father's smiling face looked up at her from the photos and Beth would have to wipe tears away, the longer she looked at him, the more she cried.

There was a knock on the door and Beth sniffed and quickly wiped her nose and eyes with the back of hand. "Hey Bethy," Maggie and Beth's mother, Annette, walked into the room. Beth was trying to hide her tears from them, but her mom noticed right away, mothers always know when their young are disheartened.

"Please tell me those are tears of happiness," Annette sat beside Beth on the floor and put her arm securely around Beth's shoulder. Maggie was by Beth's side a few seconds later, running her hand up and down her arm. They tried their best to comfort her.

Maggie looked in Beth's lap and caught on to what was upsetting the blonde right away. "Oh Bethy, you know I wouldn't of made that damn thing if I knew it was going to upset you."

Beth felt instantly guilty; Maggie worked so hard, she shouldn't be regretting it. "Maggie, I love it, honestly". Beth took a deep breath and composed herself a bit more, "I just miss Daddy, that's all."

Annette pulled Beth in closed to her and sniffed a bit herself, "Seeing you graduate was something he wouldn't have missed. He was watching over you, baby."

Beth fiddled with the chain of her necklace until her cross was untucked from her gown and grasped it. "I know he was, but you know what I mean, Mom."

Beth wanted her father there physically. She wanted to see him in the audience, glowing with pride as she got her diploma, but that was impossible. Hershel died almost four and a half months ago in a car crash.

Annette stroked Beth's hair, "I don't know what to say, I know as your mother I'm supposed to have all the answers, but all I can think of is that this really sucks."

A laugh bubbled out of Beth's mouth then. It was short and sounded a little hysterical and Beth wondered why she thought that it was funny, but she did. "I agree."

"Could I talk to Beth for a second?" Maggie had stopped rubbing Beth's arm and was sitting there quietly listening to Beth and Annette talk. Maggie could see Annette was trying extremely hard not to cry as well and knew that two people crying was not what they needed.

"Go for it," Annette got up and sent a thankful look at Maggie. Beth and Maggie both heard one last sniff before she exited the room, closing the door behind her with a click.

"Where's Shawn?" Beth rose from her floor and her graduation gown fell around her. Even though she ordered a small she was basically swimming in it. She took it off and tossed it aside, revealing the jeans and blouse she was wearing underneath.

Maggie got up too and walked across the room to lean casually against Beth's dresser. "I saw him talking up some brunette after the ceremony, he's probably out tryin' to swoon her," Maggie knew Beth was trying to change the subject but wasn't going to let her get away with it. She waited a beat and then went on, "Beth, you're not gonna be like this all summer are you?"

Beth hand nervously went up to her curls, or what use to be curls, the Georgian heat had made them go more frizzy and wavy than curly. She started playing with a strand of hair, studying her split ends and avoiding Maggie's gaze.

"Beth?"

"I don't wanna be, but I just..." Beth bit her lip. She'd been like this since the middle of January, Maggie was probably fed up with her.

Maggie had been nothing but understanding, and tried to help Beth as much as she could. When Beth started falling behind in school her sister would take time to Skype her and talk her through stuff. Maggie would use a kind, sympathetic voice and bear with Beth even when she was being difficult. But all Beth wanted her sister to do was yell at her. No one ever yelled at her about her father though.

"Beth, we all miss Daddy, but we all know that he wouldn't want you wasting your last summer before college cryin'," Maggie stared at Beth, who went back to her hair, now taming it into a pony. "I'm worried about you, I don't want this to consume you anymore than it already has."

"Maggie, I..." Beth tried to speak but she was cut off.

"Where was it your friends where all going again?" Maggie sprang the question on Beth and it surprised her.

"Like Darcy and all of them?" Beth didn't exactly understand what Maggie was playing at.

"Yeah."

"Orlando, to stay at her aunt's condo. Why?"

Maggie ignored Beth's question and asked another, "You were invited weren't you? You were telling me about it in December when I was home for Christmas that the girls were planning it."

"Yeah, but... Mom and Daddy didn't even let me go campin' for the weekend with them. It would have been a pretty long shot askin' to go to another state, Mags," Beth sat on her bed and put her arm behind her, balancing her weight on them.

"Why don't you let me and Shawn talk to Mom," Maggie pushed herself from leaning on the dresser and started making her way out of the room without so much as another glance at her little sister.

Beth had a few objections though and was off her bed after Maggie before she could reach the door, "Maggie! I can't go to Orlando! There's so much stuff to do on the farm this summer and the trip is supposed to last two weeks. I can't just leave you guys and go to Florida. It wouldn't be fair. Plus I've never even been on a plane and the girls left right after the ceremony."

"Beth, what's not fair is letting you mope around and feel like shit all summer. You've been like this too long. You can have fun, you need to have fun."

Beth didn't know if Maggie was right or not. She didn't think she deserved to have fun, but it didn't matter. Beth knew Annette would _never_ let her go, so it really was just a lost cause.

**. . .**

Sometime later, after supper with her mom and Maggie, Beth was sitting on the porch bench reading in the fading sunlight. It was her favourite time of day, when the sun cast a shadow over certain parts of the fields and then other parts would be in a sea of hazy pink from the sky. It was beautiful.

When Shawn came home she'd been in the same spot and had watched as Maggie rushed him into the house and up the stairs with hardly enough time for him to take the key out of the ignition of his truck. It was obviously to plan their con into getting Annette to let her go to Florida and Beth had to admit she did admire the attempt, even if it was in vain.

She heard Maggie and Shawn come down the stairs, talking in hushed voices not ten minutes later and asking Annette if they could speak to her upstairs. Even with the prettiness of the sky and the book, Beth couldn't distract herself from what was going on.

She was astonished when she heard no yelling. The conversation continued for at least three quarters of an hour and not once did a voice raise. If Beth or Shawn or Maggie asked for something outrageous there was normally a lot of very loud, "Absolutely nots", followed by "Because I said so". There was a large lack of both.

Beth considered going up and checking out the situation, but at that moment she heard the groan of the stairs, indicating someone was coming down them. Beth tried to act like she wasn't trying to eavesdrop and flipped her book open, pretending to read.

The screen door opened with a creak and Beth kept her eyes fixed on the page, realizing then that she'd opened the book upside down. Beth could tell by just the sound of the footsteps that it was her mom. "Hey, baby." Annette's voice sounded tired.

Beth lowered her book and little and watched her mom sit down beside her on the bench. "Hey, Mom."

Annette smiled at her daughter and made herself comfortable. She waited to see if Beth would talk first, knowing they both knew why she came out there, but Beth remained quiet. Her mom let a sigh out and spoke, "So what's this I hear 'bout Orlando?"

"I told Maggie not to ask you, Mom," Beth really wasn't looking forward to the back lash of Maggie's stupid plan. Even if her mom didn't yell at Beth she'd say she was disappointed. She'd decided that her mom remained calm talking to Shawn and Maggie because she thought Beth was the mastermind behind the whole thing and wanted the dues to be paid where they belonged. "I don't need to go to..."

"I think you should go."

"What?" Beth looked at her mom, absolutely flabbergasted. This was so out of the ordinary for Annette it was unbelievable.

Sometimes with older siblings the youngest gets away with more, having already had the ice broken or thinned by the older ones, but it was the opposite with Beth. Her parents sheltered her more than Maggie or Shawn and she didn't really mind it, she liked their little town and she liked living quietly.

"I think it'd be good for you. It may be exactly what you need to help you cope."

"Mom," Beth tilted her head, looked at Annette straining her voice a little, "I don't deserve to go to Florida. I don't wanna stress you out worrying 'bout me in another state."

"Listen kid, you're already stressing me out," her mom looked at her with a tinge of sadness in her eyes and Beth realized that her hurting was only adding to her mothers. "We live in a technology era and I know for a fact that you can speed text your little butt off. You can keep in touch with me as easy as counting to ten. There's no argument. You're going."

"Mom, I don't want to go."

"Well, that's too bad for you. I already got Maggie to email Darcy and the girls, who are already at her aunt's place, and they are making room for you as we speak," Annette smiled triumphantly at the blonde and crossed her arms. "You can thank me later."

Beth couldn't help but smile at her crazy mother, even though she felt tremendously guilty. She was being forced to go but knew it was because her family loved her so much and to make them feel better she would go. "Thank you, Mom."

"No problem, baby," Annette's scooted in closer to Beth and looked at her book. "So what is it you're reading?"

"Ahh, I don't know, just some dumb book from an old reading list. It's translated Greek or something. It pretty hard," Beth could hear the little crack in her voice that was the tell that she was lying and slumped her shoulders, letting out a breath of defeat for being caught trying to listen in.

"Really? Because it looks like one of my old romance novels upside down," Annette lifted herself off the bench and started heading back inside. Before she left she shot a cheeky grin over her shoulder a Beth. "I'd start packing if I were you. You're leavin' tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

"There is no way," Beth stood on the porch the next morning with her arms crossed and her mother beside her as Shawn pulled up in her father's old truck, "Not a chance."

Annette had been up all night with her three kids, all individually on a laptop or phone, trying to find affordable last minute plane tickets to Orlando and the results had been less than satisfying. Her mom decided that if they wanted Beth out of the house they were going to have to send her on a bus or in a vehicle.

The kids decided vehicle – thinking that Beth would likely get on the wrong bus or get stolen. Beth had assumed that maybe Maggie was going to lend her her car or Shawn would reluctantly give up his truck since they wanted her gone so badly, but they seemed to have other plans that they kept from her over breakfast.

"Why not?" Annette picked up one of the suitcases that was leaning against the side house near the door and walked up to the truck. "It's your own set of wheels and it's getting you to Florida."

"But Mom, that's Daddy's truck," Beth didn't like the idea of driving the truck, it was part of her dad. They wanted Beth out on the road trying to recover from her months of grief and there they were sticking her in Hershel's truck.

"Your father would have loved to see you driving this old thing, it was his baby before you came along. Plus it's the most reliable thing we got," Annette tossed Beth's bag into the back and waited for her daughter to get her butt in gear.

"I'm pretty sure Dad's love for me and Maggie outweighed a truck too," Shawn opened the door and got out of the pickup, "Beth isn't _that _important."

Maggie came out of the house then and grabbed the other bag on the porch, since Beth was remaining idle, "Shawn, if Daddy could have picked favourites we both know he'd of chosen this brat," Maggie shoved Beth teasingly closer to the stairs, trying to hint to her to move. Beth took the hint and walked over to join them at the truck.

Annette chuckled, "Okay kids...or should I say young adults?" They all made a face at her, telling her she definitely should not. "He loved every single one of you as such as he possibly could. Now…some may have been more than others but..."

Everyone went off in a chorus of laughs at Annette's joke. Beth liked seeing her sibling and mom smile and get along, but it made her a sadder than anything that her father wasn't there to see it too. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because the laughter didn't last long.

Shawn ran his fingers through his hair and gave Annette a look "Beth should get on the road soon if she wants to get to the border by sundown and find a motel, Mom."

Annette wanted Beth to go to Florida, but it was hard for her to see the blonde leaving, she looked at Beth with shiny eyes and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. "Now you call as soon as you stop to fill your tank, try not to accidentally put diesel in it."

Beth hugged her mom back just as tight and sighed, "Mom, first of all, I'm not that dumb, second, I'll call you every morning too and keep you updated."

"I'm kidding. And good, I want to know my baby is safe," Beth tried to break the hug but Annette wouldn't let her.

"Okay," Beth strung out the last syllable and finally wriggled herself out of Annette's death grip.

"Get in the truck before the old lady starts bawling and changes her mind," Maggie threw the bag she was carrying into the back like Annette had and put her hands on her hips. "Get moving."

Beth nodded at Maggie and was just about to get in the pickup before she was taken off guard by her two siblings attacking her with a giant sandwich hug. Beth had hardly any air left in her lungs when they released her and Shawn and Maggie were both laughing like maniacs. Beth tried not to overthink and ruin the moment.

"Okay, _now_ can I leave like you all wanted me to?" Beth smiled at her family and got in the truck, which had been rumbling softly since Shawn pulled up in it. Annette closed the door for her and knocked on the window to get her to roll it down. Beth cranked it down and her mom leaned against the door.

"One last thing before you go," Annette reached through the window and folded a large wad of cash in her daughter's hand, "in case you want to go to Disneyworld or something."

Beth was ready to object, but Annette just winked at her and walked away toward the house, Maggie and Shawn fell in line behind her. With no one left standing around the truck, Beth put it in drive and pulled away from her home, honking the horn at her waving family on the porch in her rear-view mirror as she made her way down the driveway.

**. . .**

When Beth left, it had been just after eight o'clock, a little after sunrise, it was now quarter to twelve and the sun was high up in the sky, beating down on her. Every summer in Georgia was scorching hot, this summer was no different. In the morning you got a few hours of cooler air that could give you gooseflesh, but when those hours were over so was any hope of ever having a dry scalp again until sunset.

Beth had dressed for the cooler morning, meaning sweats and a long sleeve shirt, and was regretting it deeply. Even with the AC on full blast, Beth was dripping buckets. She had considered several times just pulling over and changing right on the side of the road if she didn't come to a gas station soon, but lucky for her, Beth saw a sign indicating there was a station fifteen kilometers away and she figured she could try to hold on until then.

It was the longest fifteen kilometers of her life and as soon as Beth pulled into the station she was out of the truck and digging through her bags in the cab for her summer clothing. She went in and asked the clerk for the key to the restroom around the back, which was disgusting, and changed quickly. She also pulled her hair up into a pony and off her neck, feeling immediately better.

When Beth came out of the bathroom she asked for forty on a pump and grabbed a chocolate bar. She was smart enough to grab the money Annette gave her and her purse before she left the truck unattended and paid with a fifty dollar bill from the wad. Beth made a mental note to take the time to count how much money her mom gave her.

While she was filling the tank, Beth leaned against the bed of the truck and dialed her house number to check in with her mom like she promised. Maggie answered, promptly teasing Beth about how many times she probably had to pull over to check a map since she left and then handed the phone off to her mom.

The conversation was short and sweet. Annette told Beth she already missed her, asked her how the drive was going – which Beth replied with good – then she reminded Beth to call her at her next stop and said goodbye.

Beth hung up her cell phone and finished filling up the tank, thinking about how weird it was to have so much freedom. Her mom didn't talk to her on the phone for an hour like Beth thought she would and didn't really know how she felt about it. She'd been fine not leaving the farm and their town, but now that she was out, it was different. She was miles away from her father's grave, going to hang out with all her friends for two weeks and she was completely excited about it for the first time, there was no guilt.

Feeling like nothing was in her way, Beth put the pump back, started the pickup and drove on, blasting the music and the air conditioning.

**. . .**

Two hours later, there was a clanking noise that rang over Beth's Taylor Swift and she turned her music down to listen more closely. As she listened the sound became louder and louder. Beth was no mechanic, but she figured that hearing clanking from the engine was not ideal.

Beth had no idea what to do. There was the option of pulling over and attempting to try to call Shawn and try to have him guide her through roadside repairs, but it'd be a miracle to get service this far out on the highway. So she kept on driving, listening to clanking and furrowing her eyebrows.

So much for nothing being in her way.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl was sitting outside the auto shop with Merle, smoking in the afternoon sun. Merle was telling a vulgar story about this new woman he met down at the bar and Daryl was trying hard to ignore him. Merle's stories stopped impressing Daryl at the age of sixteen, when he actually started taking Daryl out with him and he got a look at the "vixens" his brother bragged about.

The day had been slow, and they'd spent most of their time outside smoking through a pack and polishing off bottles of beer. Most of the week was slow really. That all changed when the old Ford pickup pulled hastily up in a cloud of smoke.

The brothers watched in amusement as, what could only be describe as Country Barbie – in her cut off shorts, plaid vest and cowgirl boots – cut the engine and got out of the truck, slamming the door behind her. There was a string of words coming from her mouth that didn't seem to quite belong in the little blonde's vocabulary as she kicked the front tire and looked up at the sky, sarcastically thanking someone it looked like.

"What is that?" Daryl continued to watch her as she whipped out her phone and attempted to make a call, completely oblivious to their presence, even though they were only about six yards away.

Merle let out a howl of laughter, "That, little brother, is a girl."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "I know that, but what is she doing here?"

Even though it said auto shop on the sign, they mostly specialized in motorcycles. The passing bike gangs were what really kept business alive, the rest of the town avoided the Dixon brothers the best they could, mostly on account of Merle and his jail record. They went to the mechanic two towns over if they could. It was unusual to see someone, especially a girl, pull in willingly.

"Well, judging by the state of that pick up, I'm guessing she needs a mechanic," Merle looked over the girl, who seemed to still be attempting to make a call, hungrily, "We'd best accommodate."

Merle got up, took a drag of his cigarette and then placed it in the plastic ashtray sitting in the middle of the table. Daryl remained sitting, but he followed his brother with worried eyes as he made his way over to the girl. Daryl had seen Merle's attempts at charming girls like her far too often.

"Excuse me," Merle was getting close to the blonde now and was trying to catch her attention.

The girls head turned in Merle's direction and she lowered the phone, "Hi, I'm sorry, do you own this place?"

"I sure do sweetheart," Merle wiped his greasy hand onto his once white wife beater and held it out to her, "Name's Merle."

The blonde hesitated for a moment before taking his hand, probably considering where it had been, then introduced herself, "Beth."

Merle didn't release her hand, even well after the handshake reached its limit and pulled the Beth towards him a little bit, "I like that name, got a nice ring to it."

Daryl waited to see if she'd react and tell him to back off or brush it off. But she just stood there with wide eyes looking extremely uncomfortable. Daryl pushed himself out of his chair, knowing he had to step in now. Merle might have said he owned the auto shop, but Daryl was the one that built it from the ground up. He let his brother have co-ownership to help keep him distracted and off the pipe. He wasn't about to lose a customer to his brother's harassing.

"Merle, leave her alone," Daryl strode over to them and watched his brother drop her hand, but it wasn't the end of it.

"Awh Daryl, she knows I was just joking 'round. Don't you Blondie?"

"Beth," she clearly didn't like Merle's attempt to nickname her.

Merle was opening his mouth, to say something stupid no doubt, but Daryl spoke before he could, "What brings you to the shop, Beth?"

"Uhm," Beth raised her eyebrows at him and looked over at the truck, which was still slightly smoking.

"Well what exactly did you do to it to make this happen?" Daryl hoped she knew even a little bit about what was happening to the vehicle so he could have a place to start from.

"I drove it…" Beth had a blank look in her eyes and blinked.

Daryl stifled a laugh, he had his views on woman drivers and Beth was making them all the more true to him, "What happened while you were driving it, before the smoke."

Beth shrugged told Daryl what happened, "Well, before it started smoking there was a clanking noise coming from the engine…it went on for about an hour, if that helps any."

Beth stared at him as Daryl processed the information she gave him. He went over the pickup and popped the hood. Smoke came pouring out into his face and sent him into a coughing spree.

There was a low whistle from Merle and he laughed, "You sure did a number on this one, Blondie."

She ignored Merle and looking to Daryl, who was in the middle of spitting into the dust, and stared at him with her giant blue eyes, "You'll be able to fix it won't you? I'm supposed to be in Orlando by tomorrow."

"Orlando? You going to Disney World? I love sweet, sweet Disney World. Best place to take a chick if you wanna get laid," Merle hooted and Daryl stared him down, hoping he'd keep his mouth shut for five minutes.

There was no ignoring the shock on Beth's face at Merle's remarks as her cheeks turned bright pink though. Daryl tried to salvage the situation, "I'm not too sure yet. I'll need to take a closer look at the engine. Do you need to call someone?"

"Yes actually, I can't seem to get service out here," Beth glanced down at her phone to check it and shook her head. This place wasn't such a cell phone populated area and it didn't surprise Daryl that her phone wasn't working.

"If you head inside and wait for just a second I can take you to the office and you can make a call from there. I just need to talk to Merle quickly,"

Daryl pointed at the shop attached to the garage and Beth didn't have to be told twice. As soon as she was in the shop and out of earshot Daryl went in on Merle, "Man what the hell?! Are you deliberately tryin' to lose customers?"

"Y'know I actually thought she found me charmin', Darylina. I think I found me a keeper," Merle set his teeth right over his front lip and smiled while making crude motions with his hips.

"Merle, she is all of seventeen, can you please try not to get yourself arrested," Daryl's hand found his temples and he rubbed them, "plus we both know you have 'bout as much of a chance with her as I do becoming governor."

"You don't got to be mean 'bout it. Take a joke little brother. 'Sides I like ladies with a little more... experience," Merle's arm came up and whacked Daryl on the shoulder. "Now let's go give Blondie her phone call."

Daryl stopped his brother from heading toward the shop, "Merle, stay out here. Try to get the truck into the garage or something," he didn't trust his brother not say something inappropriate to Beth and wanted to keep him as far away from as possible for now.

"Now just wait a sec," Merle glared at him, not liking that Daryl was ordering him around. "What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

"Merle can we not do this right now," Merle was going to send him into an early grave with all his arguments and antics. "The girl wants to make a call."

"And I just said let's give it to her, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is, within the first five seconds of her being here, I can guarantee more than a few disgusting thoughts went through your head."

"Now see, the only way you'd know I was thinking that is if you were thinking the same things about the princess," Merle smirked at Daryl. "We're family after all."

Daryl had basically already said that the girl wasn't too hard on the eyes to Merle, but he would not admit to being on the same level as his brother. "Shut up, Merle."

He turned and started heading to the shop, trying to tune out Merle's laughter, but he couldn't ignore his brother's last comment. "I'll go put the truck in the garage. You try not to get arrested Darylina."

**AN: I'd like to thank everyone who is leaving reviews and enjoying my story! You're all amazing. **

**Para mi lector desde Argentina: MUCHOS GRACIAS! Es sorprendente que se tome el tiempo para traducir la fic! Usted es el tipo de persona que me inspira a seguir escribiendo. Espero que siga disfrutando!**


	4. Chapter 4

The shop was so warm that Beth could practically see the heat in the air and she was trying her hardest not to expire. When she first entered the shop she found a little blue bench by the door, where it was a little breezier, and took a seat there while she waited for the brothers to finish talking. They weren't particularly quiet people and even though they probably thought she was out of ear shot, conversation was carrying. Beth knew they were talking about her.

She'd been absolutely furious with when she got here and had cursed more than she had in her entire life, but as soon as Merle introduced himself she shifted from angry to uncomfortable. His brother – Beth thought Merle called him Daryl – stepped in and tried to defuse the situation, but Merle was a loose cannon. He didn't really try holding back even after Daryl told him to leave her alone.

Beth knew she shouldn't be listening to the conversation, even though they weren't very quiet about it, her ears weren't supposed to be hearing anything. Plus she wasn't too good at eavesdropping and not getting caught, so she decided to distract herself by looking around.

The shop was really one big rectangle. The first half was clear with just a register sitting on a little island and a poorly hung painting of a bear in a river on the right wall. The back half was separated into what where supposed to be different rooms, but really just looked like a poorly made maze with all dead ends and one long hallway.

On the left hand side wall there was a line of windows that showed the attached garage. Beth got up and peered into one of the windows. From what she could tell it was in pristine condition, with not a thing out of place and all of it well kept. Which didn't mirror the shop at all.

Everything in the place was old and it surprised Beth that nothing was being held together by duct tape. There was a dingy smell in the air and anything that was painted was peeling with a yellowish tinge to it. Beth crinkled her nose a bit when she walked over to the island with the cash register and saw the layer of dust covering it.

Suddenly there was the noise of someone clearing their throat behind her and Beth jumped. Holding her chest she turned around to see Daryl standing with his arms cross a meter or so away from her. It was amazing how quiet he had moved to get to that position, she didn't even hear the door of the shop open.

"You still need that call?" Daryl asked in a harsher voice than before outside. Beth hoped it was his brother who had put him in a mood and not the fact that she was turning her nose up at his shop.

Beth guiltily bit the inside of her cheek then answered him, "Yeah. If that's okay with you."

Without another word Daryl walked passed her and she guessed she was supposed to follow. They headed down the dimmed hallway and the deeper into the shop the cooler it seemed to be, or maybe it was Daryl's attitude.

Beth couldn't see anything past Daryl's body a followed him blindly. As she followed she noticed part of a tattoo on his right shoulder. She couldn't tell exactly what it was in this light, but got more glimpses of it as he walked and his white beater shifted. From what she could tell it must have been part of a dragon maybe.

Beth really liked tattoos. She enjoyed asking people about them and hearing their stories behind them. They were something so personal and permanent. Beth had considered getting one herself at one time, but when Maggie came home with her small tattoo on her hip, their parents lost it and Beth put the idea into the back of her mind. Going against her parents wasn't in her nature.

Beth was so focused on Daryl's tattoo that when he came to a halt she ran straight into him. Her face got buried right into the shoulder she'd been studying to intently and she got a full whiff of the redneck.

As soon as she collided into him Beth's arms were up and she was pushing her hands against his back trying to make space between them. She could hear a weird sort of, "Hey", come from Daryl.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention!" Beth could feel her face going red as Daryl turned around and looked at her. She'd made quite a spectacle of herself with her awkward spasm of pushing him away.

Daryl didn't say anything however and turned back around. His arm reached over to the left into one of the maze pieces and Beth watched him flick a switch on. A small office with a desk covered in papers was revealed and Daryl walked in.

He circled around the desk and shuffled the papers around, looking for the phone. Beth stood in the doorway and tried to ignore the fact that his scent was lingering in her nostrils and all she could smell was a mixture of sweat, earth and cigarettes. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Not as bad as his brothers stench at least.

Daryl's eyes shot up from the desk when he finally found the land line and he jerked his chin to tell Beth to go over there. Beth crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from him. He sat down himself and pushed the chucky black cord phone — like one you might see a in a teacher's room — toward her and reclined back in his chair.

Beth had expected him to leave after he led her to the office and give her some privacy. But that didn't seem to be the case. Beth stared at him as he picked at his nail beds and wondered if he was doing this on purpose, as a sort of payback for her judgment. "Uhm, do you think I could have the room?"

"What exactly do you know about vehicles? Or even what's wrong with your truck?" He didn't even bother looking up from his nails as he spoke, "Don't you think it's useful to have somebody that knows around?"

"You said you didn't know what was even wrong with it yet," Beth bit the inside of her cheek again and tried to keep herself from sounding like a typical teenager. With all the willpower she could muster Beth managed not to roll her eyes and picked up the phone to dial.

The line rang three or four times before anyone picked it up.

"Hello?" Maggie's voice filled Beth's ear.

"Hi Mags, is Mom there?" Beth entwined her fingers with the spiral cord of the phone nervously.

"Beth? Is that you, where are you calling from exactly? Are you lost?"

"So uh long story short – Daddy's truck broke down and I'm in the middle of nowhere in an auto shop," Beth talked faster than she meant to and wondered if Maggie got it all.

There was a pause on the line and Beth thought the call dropped before Maggie spoke again. "Shit."

"Is Mom there?" Beth repeated herself and tried to ignore the feeling in her stomach Maggie's response gave her.

"No, she went into town with Shawn," Maggie paused again. "Beth, you can't tell her."

"Well why not?" Beth hated how mysterious Maggie was being.

"Listen, as soon as she hung up the phone she had a friggin' melt down. She was talking 'bout how you weren't ready and she should have never let me and Shawn talk her into it."

Beth took a breath and tried to think things through. Annette had been so supportive and practically pushing the truck down the driveway herself, how did her attitude change so drastically.

"If you tell her she's gonna drive down there and come get you herself, Beth."

"What exactly am I supposed to do, Maggie?" Beth didn't even know how soon the truck could be fixed, or if it even could be.

"Pay for it yourself and get the hell to Florida."

That was a terrible plan. Beth had the small amount of money she'd been saving herself and the money her mom gave her, she didn't know how much that even was. Her not telling her mom would also involve lying and probably a lot of it. Beth had lied to her parents before but felt awful going about it and had a tendency of getting caught. But Beth sure as hell didn't want to be dragged home by mommy, she'd just started feeling free.

"Well, okay I can figure it out," Beth untangled her fingers from the cord, "I'm smart and capable."

"Yes you are... Mom's home. I'll tell her you're a few hours away from the border. Call again when you're settled a bit."

Maggie hung up the phone and left Beth alone in office with Daryl staring at her with questioning eyes.

**AN: It is truly amazing to me that people from all over the world take the time to read and review my writing, even if it's not in their first language. I appreciate it so much. I hope you all continue to enjoy because making people happy is what I hope my stories do. Thank you very, very much! **


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl watched Beth place the phone back onto the receiver and she let out a heavy sigh. He didn't hear the other side of the conversation, but reading the blonde's body language he could tell it didn't exactly going the way she expected. Daddy was probably disappointed in her from messing up the truck or something.

Beth fiddled with the stray pieces of hair that had fallen out of her pony tail as she chewed her bottom lip and looked down into her lap. She didn't say anything for what seemed like a very long time and Daryl had no idea if he was supposed to speak up or not. Or wanted to.

He'd was probably a little more pissed than he should have been at her for prejudging his shop. But she wrinkling her noise got to him. He was good at what he did. If she didn't want his help, she could go elsewhere. Merle had also gotten to him. He didn't want to be nice to this girl if his brother was going to go around thinking he was right about Daryl thinking dirty thoughts about her.

The thing with Merle was that you could say one tiny thing and it would get held against you forever. Merle had a very hard time letting things go. It was almost guaranteed that Merle was going to try one more time to mention Daryl thinking she was attractive. Escalating anything was going to make it worse.

The term speak of the devil came to Daryl's mind as Merle came strolling into the office and over to the mini fridge in the corner then. He might have been told to stay away, but Merle never listened and Daryl was somewhat thankful for that in this moment to have someone to break the silence. "You got your call Blondie?"

"Uhm yes, I did," Beth looked up from her lap at Merle, who was bent at the waist digging in the mini fridge.

"You want a beer?" Merle straightened up and turned around to face his brother. He tossed a bottle to him and Daryl caught it. He had two more in his other hand and shook them in the direction of Beth.

"No thank you. I don't drink," Beth was now in the middle of putting her hair back in a proper pony and looked surprised that Merle had even asked her.

"Dang girl, is it like a just say no thing or have you just made too many drunken mistakes." Merle laughed, placed the one bottle in front of Beth and then opened his own bottle on the side of the desk.

Even though it was rhetorical, Beth chose to answer. "Alcohol dims the senses and poisons your body. It makes people spew hateful things from their mouths and is a short term fix for dealing problems. I'd rather not partake thank you very much."

Daryl, along with his brother, made a face at the teenager's preachy attitude. She sounded like she'd been to Sunday School one too many times or memorized an AA pamphlet. She looked old enough that she could go out and party, hell she said she was going out to Florida and it was summer break. That screamed underage drinking. And yet there she was refusing.

"Well, well, well, I think I'll continue to poison myself. I got something in me I need to kill," without another word Merle turned the bottle up and started chugging his beer.

"I'm sure you do," Beth's face was twisted in a sort of frown as Merle finished his bottle and let out a belch. Her attitude had shift drastically since Merle walked in and she was starting to show her annoyance.

"So what's the plan?" Daryl watched her glance at him for a second but she was too distracted by Merle and looking at him in disgust as he reached over and took the bottle that he'd placed in front of her.

"If you keep making that face it's gonna get stuck like that," Merle laughed and popped the cap off on the desk again.

Beth's face dropped a bit and she took her gaze off Merle finally. "Is there a motel or an inn here somewhere?"

Daryl was thinking about which one to send her to, but Merle seemed to already know and answered before him. "You're in luck Blondie. There's one of few miles down the road from here that will probably have one or two vacancies," Merle smirked at the girl and looked like he was trying his damned hardest not to laugh. Daryl knew why.

Merle wanted Beth to stay at Jim's Motel. It was one of the three motels in town and it was the diviest. It was normally the place where prostitutes took their dates because it was so damn cheap. The sheets on the beds probably got washed once a month, if you were lucky, and if Beth thought the dust in the shop was bad he couldn't wait to see what she thought of Jim's rooms.

Daryl thought about protesting and maybe sending her to a better one, but the offense from her wrinkling her nose was still fresh in his mind and decided against it. Not really caring if he was too old to be spiteful about a teenager's opinion.

"Yea Jim's would work out fine for you," Daryl said and saw Merle press his lips together from the corner of his eyes. "I just need you to fill out a few things before you go."

Luckily the paper he needed was sitting on top of everything he shuffled and he was able to get it without leaving anytime for Merle to open his big mouth and give anything away. He placed the sheet in front of her and handed her a pen as she read over everything. It was pretty simple stuff she need to fill out (license plate number, name, number to reach you at, emergency contact number etc.) but the girl was looking at it like it was written in German.

"Is there a problem?" Daryl asked her.

Beth looked up at him and said, "Well, I just don't know which contact number or emergency number to put."

"Just put the hotel and your house number," he didn't think it was that big of a mystery. He was sure daddy and mommy would come bail her out if she needed anything.

"Do you know the motel number?"

Daryl actually didn't. If he wanted to talk to Jim he found him, that's how it worked in this town. He looked at his brother who shrugged. Beth sat there and looked at them waiting for an answer. He could just tell her she could come down here and talk in person. But he had a feeling she would constantly be asking how things with the truck were going or maybe choose to not leave.

"How, 'bout we just get the number from the owner at the motel," Beth finally suggested.

"That's not actually too bad of an idea Blondie. I'll drive you down there," Merle was still sipping on the beer he'd taken from her and was starting to dig around in his pockets for his bike keys.

Daryl let out a sigh. The only thing worse than a drunk Merle hitting on a teenager was a drunk Merle taking a teenager to a motel. And there was also the whole drunk driving thing that he'd been fined for several times. "Merle, why don't you let me take care of it?"

Merle was sucking in air to talk back, but then out of the blue he shut his mouth and stared at his brother with a calculating looking. "Oh, I see Darylina," Merle winked and nodded his head. "You can take care of it."

**AN: Hello my loves, long time no see! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this in forever. I've been so caught up in my other fanfiction I'm writing and put this fic on the back burner. But it is Bethyl Week and I'd feel like a piece of shit if I didn't give you guys something. I'm very thankful for all the readers that have waited patiently for this and want you all to know that I will be updating frequently now. I have all of the future chapters lined up for my other fic and will have more time to work on Saudade. **


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